


if life is a movie (you're the best part)

by torkz



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 3 + 1, M/M, NHL!Ransom, Pining, Romantic Fluff, everything i write reads like a romcom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2019-01-19 02:41:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12401391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/torkz/pseuds/torkz
Summary: Three times Derek Nurse meets Justin Oluransi, plus the one time Justin meets Derek.





	if life is a movie (you're the best part)

_**ONE.** _

The first time Derek Nurse meets Justin Oluransi, he falls and damn near breaks his nose. 

No, really. 

He’d visited a few other colleges for shits and giggles, but he had already nearly decided on Samwell and had come back to spend some more time on campus. 

He’s walking through the Quad staring at his phone, inspired by his surroundings and the atmosphere and itching to get some words down somewhere. He isn’t looking where he’s going (obviously) and veers off course (of course) and bumps pretty hard into someone. And because Derek Nurse is Derek Nurse, he looks up, sees the impossibly attractive man he’s bumped into, continues to trip over his own feet, fall over a nearby bench and hits his face on the sidewalk. He groans in pain as he feels blood pouring down from his nose and, through the tears in his eyes, sees a large dark-skinned hand reaching out to help him up.

“Oh my God, bro, I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” The voice asking is deep with a Canadian lilt and Derek would appreciate it more if his face wasn’t aching so bad. He mumbles something about hurting as mister tall, dark, and handsome leads him to a bench.

“I’m pre-med, is it okay if I touch your face?” He asks gently, hands already slightly raised. Derek grunts his consent, and the man runs gentle fingers over his cheeks, eyes, and nose, seemingly satisfied when Derek only lets out small grunts of discontent.

“Yeah, I don’t think anything is broken, but you’ll be bruised for a little while.” He reaches into his bag and produces a few napkins and a bottle of water for Derek to clean himself up with. 

“Thanks. I’m sorry for bumping into you,” Derek croaks, pain still blooming across his face.

“No, it’s completely fine. Are you from around here? Can I walk you back to your dorm?” The man Derek is beginning to think of as Tall Dark and Handsome draws his eyebrows together in concern, teeth digging into his bottom lip. 

_ Holy shit, he’s gorgeous,  _ Derek can’t help thinking as he finally takes a second to look him over. The man has dark, clear skin and is broad and tall, with perfect teeth and cheekbones cut from marble. After staring for a minute, he remembers that he was asked a question.

“Oh no, I’m actually visiting. I’m a senior at Andover, I’m pretty sure I’m coming here next year.”

“‘Swawesome. I promise we normally keep the checking to a minimum on the Quad, so I hope i didn’t scare you out of coming back,” 

“No, not at all. I really like this place. Uh, were you headed anywhere?”

The man startles a bit and checks his watch before standing quickly. “Ah shit, yes! I have to go. Take some Ibuprofen, ice your face, and go to a doctor and have them double check for a concussion. I guess I’ll see you around, eh? Nice to meet you!”

Derek waves at his back as he hurries off and smirks as he finishes cleaning himself up. He spends that evening writing poems about half moon eyes and strong hands. 

〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜

_**TWO.** _

The second time Derek Nurse meets Justin Oluransi, he spews coffee all over the table. 

He’s sitting in Annie’s with his new friend Chris Chow, grinning into his coffee while Chris rambles his excitement about hockey and school. They’ve just finished their comprehensive tour of campus run by their hockey team, and decided to get some coffee and hang out a little longer. Derek is excited too, though he holds it under his skin more than Chris seems to. 

“I don’t know, everyone just seems so cool! I mean Jack seems a little tightly wound but that’s probably understandable considering, and Shitty is kind of loud and cusses a lot, but he seems really knowledgeable. What was the name of the d man that was stuck in class today?” Chris asks suddenly.

“Oh, Ransom.” Derek says, after a moment of processing. “His real name is Justin, I think.”

“Did someone call for me?” says a familiar voice. 

Derek’s eyes jerk up to the man that’s been the object of his daydreams for nearly a year, Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome. He also happens to take a large drink of coffee at the same time, and he’s so startled he snorts, coffee flying out of his nose and mouth and all the way across the table. TDH (or Ransom, apparently) jumps into action, grabbing a handful of napkins and passing them to Derek and Chris before wiping the table.

“Hey, I remember you! Are you this prone to accidents or do I just have that effect on people?” He says, laughing a little.

Derek’s brain is still coming back online as he stares into Ransom’s face, spluttering and coughing. He’s still gorgeous; his face is a little more filled out, the effect of age, stress, and, apparently, hockey. It’s a good look. 

“Uh, I don’t think I have an answer to that that isn’t embarrassing,” Derek finally says, still patting his shirt dry. “But it is nice to see you again.”

Ransom turns back to him from where he was throwing the napkins away, looking pleasantly surprised. “You remember me?”

“Well, yeah,” Derek says, trying not to blush, “it would be pretty hard to forget the guy I tripped over and bled on.”

“Yeah, I guess that would leave an impression, eh?” Ransom laughs.

They stare at each other for a minute, not speaking, and Derek can feel Chris looking at them, see his confusion out of the corner of his eye. He knows this is probably creepy but he can’t bring himself to stop. Ransom doesn’t seem too keen on it either.

“So,” Chris finally interrupts, “I’m Chris and that’s Derek. We’re the new goalie and d-man, respectively. You live in the Haus, right?”

“Oh, yeah! Holster and I got our dibs last year from the last d-man duo, they put us through hell bro,” Ransom answers, finally putting his stuff down and pulling a chair out. Derek lets them talk, following along and speaking only when spoken to. 

His mind is still reeling. He’s been thinking about Tall Dark and Handsome since the day they met, talking about him so much that his sisters put a TDH Ban on their groupchat. He can’t stop looking at him, committing his expressions and way of talking to memory, already preparing to tell his sisters all about him. He tunes back into their conversation as Ransom checks his watch and stands.

“This has been swawesome, but I’ve gotta run. I know you guys have your dorms but the Haus is open to the whole team. Feel free to stop by whenever! It was nice to meet you, Chris. You too, Derek. And try to keep your nose clean, who knows the next time I’ll be around with napkins.” Ransom chirps, grabbing his bag and waving.

Chris and Derek wave their goodbyes and Derek watches him walk out of the door, reluctantly dragging his eyes back to his very smug friend.  _ Damn,  _ he thinks,  _ not nearly as oblivious as I’d hoped. _

“I really hope you didn't think you could make me watch how painfully into him you are and not tell me what happened,” Chris says, crossing his arms.

Derek drops his head onto the table and groans. “I came to visit Samwell last year because I really liked their campus, and wasn’t watching where I was going and bumped into him. Then I tripped over my feet, fell over a bench, and landed flat on my face. He cleaned me up and made sure I didn’t have a broken nose before running off like some sort dream or something and I think I’m in love with him.”

Chris makes a comforting noise and pats Derek’s back.

“And then you went and literally shot coffee out of your nose. Oh man,” he says, “you are so totally fucked.”

∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼

_**THREE.** _

The third time Derek Nurse meets Justin Oluransi (aka Ransom), it completely changes his view of him. They’ve played together on the team for a few years, exchanging pointers back and forth, and meeting each other in a way no one else on the team seems to get. Ransom has taught Derek who cuts the best hair in the surrounding area, Derek has shown Ransom some of the best ethnic restaurants around town, and it's really helped them bond. They’ve eased their way into friendship and Derek has found that he is able to push his giant crush to the side and just hang out. 

They’ve started weekly study dates, and that’s where Derek is headed, meeting Ransom at the Haus this week so they can study together in relative peace. It’s one of the rare moments when Bitty isn’t filling the space and none of the other guys are in the Haus; Chowder is off somewhere with Farms, Lardo is in the studio, Bitty is in Providence, and Ollie and Wicks are doing their thing. He can practically hear Ransom thinking as soon as he walks through the door.

“Hey, man,” Derek says as he walks up to where Ransom is sitting at the kitchen table, “penny for your thoughts?”

“You don’t want to hear about it, bro,” Ransom says, hands clenching and unclenching on the table.

“If I didn’t want to listen, I wouldn’t have asked. Go on,” Derek says, looking at him patiently.

“Okay,” Ransom says, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. “I don't want to be a doctor.”

Derek must not hide his shock as well as he means to because he watches as Ransom’s shoulders tighten just a little and his fidgeting gets worse. 

Derek thinks for a second before he speaks up. “I’m not mad at you, but you’re freaking out and I want to deal with that before we talk some more. Is that okay?” Derek says.

“Yeah, that’s okay.”

“Okay, I’m gonna put some tea on and I think Bitty has some cookies somewhere. Honey chamomile alright?” Derek asks as he stands and heads to the cabinet. 

“You don’t have to do this, Nurse,” Ransom says, even as he nods his agreement to his choice of tea.

“I think I do. You’re an adult bro, and two years older than me, and the fact that you were so nervous to tell me means that whoever you already told was shitty about it. So let me be a friend.”

“Alright,” Ransom says.

Derek nods to himself and gets started boiling the water. If he’s honest, he’s less shocked at Ransom’s decision and more shocked at his anxiety in telling him, his fear of the future. Other than his test anxiety, Ransom is a happy-go-lucky, go with the flow kind of guy. It’s one of the many things that continues to impress Derek about him. To see him in a such a state of distress feels like a smack in the face and he hates himself for it. When did he let his crush turn Ransom into some flawless being? It's strange and humbling to see Ransom as just an average college kid, when he's built him up as someone so untouchable in his head.

The kettle is finished and he pours the water into two cups with teabags already in them, setting both on the table and lining up milk, sugar and honey before sitting down. He watches as Ransom doctors up his cup: a splash of milk, three teaspoons of sugar, just a touch of honey. He commits it to memory.

“So,” Derek says after they take their first sips, “you don’t want to be a doctor.”

“No. I did it because my parents are doctors and immigrants and you know how immigrant parents are. I felt like I had to do exactly what they expected of me and like, prosper and shit. But I fucking hate it, bro. I really do.” Ransom says and drags his hands down his face.

“What do you want to do instead?”

“Hockey,” Ransom answers with no hesitation.

“Okay. So you’ll play hockey,” Derek shrugs.

“What, you’re not gonna give me shit about how smart I am, and how I should use the gift I have to save lives?” Ransom says, rolling his eyes and punctuating his statement with air quotes.

“Nope. Hockey is your gift, too. You’re talented. You could go far.”

Ransom just blinks at him. 

“Literally no one has said that to me before,” he says, looking stunned.

“What, that you’re talented? I know that’s bullshit,” Derek says, rolling his eyes.

“No. That it’s a gift.” Ransom answers, just looking at him. He tilts his head to the side, studying his friend. Derek fidgets a little, shrugging and sipping at his tea.

“Not everyone can do it. You can and you’re incredible. Why wouldn’t it be a gift?” Derek says after a moment. 

He reaches down and starts getting his supplies to avoid Ransom’s gaze. Derek can hear the contemplative noise Ransom makes and feel him watching, and he resolutely keeps his eyes down. He knows Ransom will be able to see the question in his eyes about who made him feel like shit, knows that he won’t be able to hide his distaste when he inevitably says that it was Holster. He prepares his materials instead and hopes it’s okay that he’s effectively ending this conversation. He finally looks back up and Ransom is smiling, just a little.

“You’re something special, Derek Nurse. Thank you.”

Derek wants to ask what he means by that, but he doesn’t want to waste time with meaningless conversation and what ifs that get his hopes up. He has a feeling that he’s created an important moment for his friend, one that will bring him joy and success in his future and career. He has a feeling that after graduation, he won’t get to witness a lot of that firsthand. It’s a feeling he doesn’t want to have, so he pushes it to the side and tries to focus on the time he has with him now. There’ll be time for heartbreak later.

∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼∼

_**\+ ONE.** _

The first time Justin Oluransi meets Derek Nurse, he’s a goner. 

It’s been five years since he’s graduated, and he’s on his way to Bitty and Jack’s place in Providence. They finally bit the bullet and got engaged, though Justin is a little convinced that Bitty is just using this as an excuse to throw a party. He’s just as nervous as he is excited; he hasn’t really kept up with anyone but Lardo and Holster since college. He’s looking forward to seeing everyone, but there’s that ever persistent worry that they’ll be pissed that he dropped communication.

He pulls up to house and parks behind the cars already lined up against the curb. He takes a deep breath as he walks up the steps and knocks on the door, and smiles brightly when Bitty opens the door with a grin.

“Hey, Bits. Am I late?”

“Ransom! Of course not, I’m so glad you’re here, honey, come in! Everyone is in the backyard, I was just grabbing snacks from the kitchen,” Bitty says brightly.

Ransom pulls him into a hug and squeezes, surprised by how much he missed his friend. “Can’t even stay out of the kitchen for your own party?” He chirps.

“You’re lucky I’m so damn excited to see you, otherwise you’d be getting your ass handed to you for chirping me at my own engagement party,” Bitty says, as he leads Justin through the house. “I’ll give you a tour later, you’re still staying here, right?”

“Yeah, as long as you’ll have me,” Justin says.

Bitty turns around and eyes him for a moment before pulling him into another hug. 

“Justin, you are always welcome in my home. Okay?” He opens the screen door to the backyard and sends Justin out with a pat on the ass.

The party looks to be in full swing, music playing happily, and everyone with a cup in their hand. They’ve got torches casting soft light across the yard, and a fire pit filling the darkness the torches missed. There are chairs artfully arranged, and trash cans strategically placed; Jack is one for practicality as much as Bitty is for style. There’s a table full of food and a mini bar for drinks, and Justin starts to make his way around the yard before he indulges. All of their friends from college are there along with a few Falconers and other players Justin recognizes from games. They greet him joyfully and he finds himself more and more content with his decision to come.

He’s just finished exchanging pleasantries when he sees Derek, walking up to the bar and pouring himself a drink. He looks good, hair long and curly and pulled back into a lazy bun, more tattoos littering his arms than Justin remembers, a little thinner without the bulk of hockey, but a full beard hugging his jaw. He seems more comfortable in his skin now too, and Justin’s feet are moving him before he has time to think about it. He can smell the cologne Derek used to wear back at Samwell (when did he store that information away?) and he can see that he’s added a septum ring to the decorations on his body. Before he knows it, he’s standing next to him and he has absolutely no idea what to say. This isn’t the kid who had a crush on him and worshipped his game play back in college. This is a grown man he hasn’t seen in years. This is a different Derek Nurse.

Justin taps on Derek’s shoulder before he loses his nerve, and Derek startles, spilling his newly acquired drink over his hand. Justin laughs and his worry eases as he grabs a napkin.

“Still accident prone, I see,” Justin says as he hands the napkins over.

Derek’s eyes jump up to his face, and his grin is bright. 

“God, am I ever going to see you without embarrassing myself?”

Justin laughs and grins, stepping back and holding his hand out. 

“Would you like to start over?”

“Yeah,” Derek nods, charmed. He grabs Justin’s hand in a shake. “My name is Derek, it’s nice to meet you.”

“Justin.” 

They grin at each other. Justin can feel himself blushing, and he can’t tell if the rosiness in Derek’s cheeks is from the alcohol or something else.

“So, what have you been up to? How’s life after college treating you?” Derek asks, sipping the remnants of his spilled drink.

“Well, you know I got recruited by Buffalo, and ultimately decided to play after agonizing over it for ages. My parents were actually really cool about it, I was freaking out for no reason.”

“Well, not for no reason. But I am really glad it worked out.”

“Yeah, me too,” Justin says, smiling. “What about you, what did you decide to pursue? You a published poet yet?”

“I’m actually a professor?” Derek says, smiling and wincing just a little. He must get that assumption a lot from the people who knew him in college, Justin thinks.

“A professor, that’s awesome, bro! What are you teaching?” Justin asks.

Derek goes off talking about what he does and who he teaches, and Justin lets his voice drown out all other background noise. He watches Derek in a way he never let himself before, the way he scratches his chin when he’s thinking, the way he licks his lips, the way his fingers uncurl from his cup when he sets it back down. He still uses his hands when he gets passionate about what he’s speaking on and Justin wonders if he’s gotten that under control for teaching. One of his gesticulations causes the collar of his shirt to slide down his shoulder, and God, he has freckles, and  _ oh no,  _ Justin thinks,  _ I’m into him. _

He tunes back in when he realizes Derek is looking at him expectantly. 

“I’m so sorry. I missed what you said,” Justin says.

“Oh, no, I’m sorry! I know I talk too much,” Derek says, laughing it off.

“No, I didn’t get bored, bro. I got distracted,” He says, and reaches out to slide Derek’s shirt back over his shoulder.

Derek’s mouth is slightly open and his breath hitches. He bites his lip and that’s too much for Justin. He moves his hands to Derek’s hips with enough time for him to decline, and pulls them together. 

“I want to listen to you talk forever, especially considering how gorgeous you are when you talk about your passions. But I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on another word as long as I’m wondering what it feels like to kiss you.”

Derek shivers and pulls Justin’s face to his own, kissing him deeply, sloppy and sweet with alcohol and years long desires. Justin smiles into it, hands tightening around Derek’s hips, swallowing every soft sound Derek doesn’t even know he’s making. He wants to feel bad, ignoring Jack and Bitty’s moment to create one of his own, but he can’t bring himself to regret this. It feels like old promises and too-long-comings, like a friendship two young boys couldn’t develop, and a relationship two grown men can plan together.

It feels like his future.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is lyrics from Best Part by Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R (go listen and get your life it's NurseyRans gold ok)
> 
> I've been working on this for AGES, I actually posted the first part almost a year ago but I took it down bc I wanted to expand on it. Hope you enjoyed! Special shoutout to Paulina for the encouragement and listening to me flesh this bad boy out. You're wonderful, I'm so glad I know you! (check them out on here as palateens they're phenomenal)  
> anyway you know the drill leave me a fucking comment im verrryyyyy lonely, and come see me on [tumblr!](https://oluranurse.tumblr.com)


End file.
